ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Oklahoma linebacker Corey Nelson was watching the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft wondering if his name would be called.
Then his phone started ringing repeatedly, with teams on the other end interested in adding him as a late pick or an undrafted free agent.
"That's when things got serious," Nelson said. "[The Broncos] were calling me and other teams were calling me and letting me know, 'Hey, we want you, we're going to get you, we're going to do the best we can to get you to be part of the organization.'"
Denver grabbed the 6-foot-1, 226 pound linebacker, who describes himself as "explosive and fast" with "a knack for finding the ball," ahead of his other suitors at the 242nd overall pick.
Though Nelson's final season at Oklahoma ended in October after he partially tore a pectoral muscle, he said he returned to full strength very quickly, two-and-a-half months ahead of schedule. He said the Broncos' coaches showed interest early in the draft process and that the ultimate phone call Saturday was "breathtaking."
"I'm just pretty happy to be chosen right now," Nelson said. "I knew whether I went drafted or undrafted that I would have a spot or a chance to come in and compete for a team."
